prowrestlingfandomcom-20200223-history
Alexa Bliss
| birth_place = Columbus, Ohio | death_date = | death_place = | resides = | billed = | trainer = WWE Performance Center Bill DeMott Sara Amato | debut = June 20, 2013 | retired = }} Alexis "Lexi" Kaufman (August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to WWE under the ring name Alexa Bliss, where she performs on the Raw brand and is currently the WWE Raw Women's Champion in her first reign. She is also a two-time SmackDown Women's Champion. In May 2013, she signed a contract with WWE and was assigned to WWE Performance Center and developmental brand NXT in Orlando, Florida. In May 2015, she aligned herself with NXT Tag Team Champions Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake, thus becoming their valet. Bliss made her main roster debut on the SmackDown brand in July 2016 and proceeded to win the SmackDown Women's Championship in December 2016. She lost the title at Elimination Chamber in February 2017, but won it back nine days later to become the first woman to win it twice. Early life Kaufman was born in Columbus, Ohio. She has been involved in sports since the age of five, competing in softball, track, kickboxing, and gymnastics. In cheerleading, she reached Division I status in college. She also spent time in competitive bodybuilding, and has competed in the Arnold Classic. At the age of 15, Kaufman suffered from a life-threatening eating disorder, but bodybuilding helped her overcome it. Professional wrestling career WWE NXT (2013–2016) Kaufman was signed by WWE in May 2013 and reported to WWE's developmental territory NXT. On the July 24 episode of NXT, which was taped on June 20, she made her first televised appearance, congratulating the inaugural NXT Women's Champion Paige. In August, she was added to WWE.com's NXT roster page and assigned the ring name Alexa Bliss. She acted as an unnamed ring announcer for the November 20 episode of NXT. Her first televised appearance on the main roster came at WrestleMania XXX on April 6, 2014, when she played a part in Triple H's entrance. She made her televised in-ring debut on the May 8 episode of NXT, competing in a tournament for the vacant NXT Women's Championship. She defeated former Divas Champion Alicia Fox in the first round, but lost to Charlotte in the semi-finals. On the June 19 episode of NXT, Bliss defeated Sasha Banks despite interference from Charlotte and Summer Rae. After some hiatus from the ring due a legitimate injury, Bliss returned on the March 11, 2015 episode of NXT, where she defeated Carmella. The following week on NXT, she defeated NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks by countout in a non-title match, which led to Bliss being granted a championship match against Banks on the March 25 episode of NXT, which she lost. On the May 13 episode of NXT, Bliss defeated Carmella after the NXT Tag Team Champions Buddy Murphy and Wesley Blake set up a distraction. On May 20 at NXT TakeOver: Unstoppable, Bliss helped Blake and Murphy retain the NXT Tag Team Champioship against Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore, forming an alliance with them and turning into a villainess character in the process. On the June 3 episode of NXT, Bliss once again defeated Carmella, this time with Blake and Murphy in her corner. On the July 29 episode of NXT, Bliss helped Blake and Murphy retain the NXT Tag Team Championship against The Vaudevillians (Aiden English and Simon Gotch), and slapped both English and Gotch after the match. The Vaudevillians were granted a rematch for the NXT Tag Team Championship against Blake and Murphy at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn on August 22, which they won after Blue Pants stopped Bliss from providing a distraction during the match. This led to a match between the two, where Bliss would go on to defeat Blue Pants in a singles match on the September 2 episode of NXT. Throughout October and November, Bliss started a feud with Bayley over the NXT Women's Championship, after Bliss interrupted Bayley's celebration about her match at NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7, confronting her and stating she has her sights set on the championship. After Bliss lost to Bayley in a six-person mixed tag team match, the two faced off in the main event on the November 18 episode of NXT, where Bliss was unsuccessful in capturing the championship. On the January 13, 2016 episode of NXT, Bliss competed in a number one contender's battle royal, which was won by Carmella. After Blake and Murphy lost to Austin Aries and Shinsuke Nakamura on the May 18 episode of NXT, Bliss and Blake abandoned Murphy, officially disbanding the trio. On the May 25 episode of NXT, Bliss competed in a triple threat match against Carmella and Nia Jax to determine the number one contender to Asuka's NXT Women's Championship at NXT TakeOver: The End on June 8, which was won by Jax. On the August 17 episode of NXT, Bliss competed in a six-woman tag team match along with Daria Berenato and Mandy Rose, in which they were defeated by Carmella, Liv Morgan, and Nikki Glencross in what would be also her last match in NXT. SmackDown Women's Champion (2016–2017) After being drafted from NXT to the SmackDown brand as part of the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, Bliss made her main roster debut for the brand on July 26, where she confronted Becky Lynch before being interrupted by the brand female talents. Bliss achieved her first victory on the main roster by defeating Lynch after she replaced Eva Marie in the match on the August 9 episode of SmackDown Live. Bliss made her pay-per-view event debut at SummerSlam on August 21 in a six-woman tag team match, when she teamed with Natalya and Nikki Bella in a winning effort against Becky Lynch, Carmella, and Naomi. Bliss debuted a new look based on Harley Quinn from the film Suicide Squad at Backlash on September 11, competing in a six-pack elimination challenge to determine the inaugural SmackDown Women's Champion, ultimately won by Becky Lynch. On the September 13 episode of SmackDown Live, Bliss won a fatal five-way match by pinning Nikki Bella to earn a Women's Championship match against Lynch at No Mercy on October 9. However, due to Lynch suffering a legitimate injury, the match was rescheduled for the November 8 episode of SmackDown Live, where Lynch successfully defended the title against Bliss, albeit in controversial fashion, as the referee did not see Bliss' foot on the bottom rope when she submitted to Lynch's finishing maneuver. On the November 15 episode of SmackDown Live, Raw Women's Champion Charlotte (now going as Charlotte Flair) appeared at ringside during a match between Carmella and Nikki Bella, which ensued a brawl between all members of the Raw women's team, with the SmackDown women's team making the save. At Survivor Series on November 20, the SmackDown women's team lost to the Raw women's team in the traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination match, during which Bliss and Lynch furthered their dissent. On the November 22 episode of SmackDown Live, Bliss was informed by SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon that her rematch against Lynch for the SmackDown Women's Championship would be scheduled for TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs. At the event on December 4, Bliss defeated Lynch in a tables match and became the new Smackdown Women's Champion. In December, an angle began where both Bliss and Lynch used a gimmick named La Luchadora to face each other in matches while trying to conceal their identities. As the feud with Lynch intensified, another woman wearing the La Luchadora costume began assisting Bliss, who was revealed to be the returning Mickie James after Bliss successfully defended her championship against Lynch in a steel cage match, which main evented the January 17 episode of SmackDown Live, with Bliss and James forming an alliance. On February 12, Bliss dropped the championship to Naomi at Elimination Chamber. On the February 21 episode of SmackDown Live, after Naomi was forced to vacate the title due to an injury, Bliss defeated Becky Lynch to capture the title for the second time. Bliss' partnership with Mickie James dissolved shortly after, and the two would face off in a match, with James defeating Bliss. Bliss would lose the championship again to Naomi at WrestleMania 33, in a six-pack challenge also involving James, Carmella, Natalya and Becky Lynch, and would lose a subsequent rematch for the title on the April 4 episode of SmackDown Live. Raw (2017-present) On the April 10 episode of Raw, Bliss made her first appearance for the Raw brand after being drafted as part of the "Superstar Shake Up" by confronting the WWE Raw Women's Champion Bayley and Sasha Banks. Other media Bliss made her video game debut as a playable character in WWE 2K17. Personal life Kaufman is an avid fan of Disney, which she attributes to her family's annual trips to Walt Disney World starting at age three despite her family's low income at the time. She has cited Trish Stratus and Rey Mysterio as her influences in wrestling. In January 2017, it was revealed that Kaufman is engaged to fellow wrestler Matthew Adams, better known by the ring name Buddy Murphy. In wrestling * Finishers ** Sparkle Splash / Twisted Bliss (Rounding Moonsault) **DDT – 2016–present * Signature moves ** Diving somersault evasion **''Glitter Blizzard'' (Leg trap sunset flip powerbomb) **''Glitz Flip'' / Insult to Injury (Standing moonsault double knee drop) **Crucifix pin **Legsweep ** Tilt-a-whirl headscissors takedown, sometimes transitioned into an inside cradle *'Managers' **Blake and Murphy *'Wrestlers managed' **Blake and Murphy *'Nicknames' ** "Five Feet of Fury" ** "Little Miss Bliss" ** "The Wicked Witch of WWE" ** "Goddess of WWE" * Entrance themes ** "Bling Bling" by Hollywood Music (NXT; May 8, 2014 – September 25, 2014) ** "'''Blissful"' by CFO$ (NXT; September 25, 2014 – November 18, 2015) ** "'Spiteful" by CFO$ (NXT; November 18, 2015 - Present) Championships and accomplishments *Pro Wrestling Illustrated' **PWI ranked her '#29''' in the 2016 PWI Top 50 Females *'World Wrestling Entertainment' **WWE Smackdown Women's Championship (2 times) **WWE Raw Women's Championship ([[WWE Raw Women's Championship/Champion history|1 time, Current]]) External links * WWE.com Profile * CageMatch Profile * Alexa Bliss on Facebook * Alexa Bliss on Twitter *Bodybuilding Profile *Model Mayhem Page Category:1991 births Category:2013 debuts Category:Female wrestlers Category:American wrestlers Category:World Wrestling Entertainment current roster Category:WWE NXT alumni Category:Former fitness competitors Category:Ohio wrestlers Category:Ring Announcers Category:Managers and valets Category:WWE Models Category:Living people Category:WWE Women's Champions